cytokeratin

In case you were glued to your lab bench, here is a roundup of this week in science.

The US House of Representatives fell 20 votes short of passing a bill that would allow foreign students with advanced degrees in STEM fields to obtain an employment-based green card. Options??? Why not work 12 miles off shore.

Scientisits at UC Berkeley have discovered that cytokeratin found in the eye produce antimicrobial peptides. This has the potential to lead to a new class of antimicrobial compounds.

This African spiny mouse can regrow skin complete with hair follicles and sweat glands similar to salamanders regrowing limbs. The molecular mechanisms behind this phenomenon might be possible in humans.

Pregnant rats exposed to dioxin, a compound found in agent orange, promotes epigenetic mutations leading to increased instances of ovarian, prostate, and kidney diseases in F1-F3 generations.

For the first time, the radius of a black hole has been measured. By linking together 3 radio dishes, scientists were able to observe matter surrounding the black hole referred to as the ”event horizon.”

As a scientist, I admire Einstein. As a neuroscientist, I admire Einstein’s brain even more. Now you can too! Available on the iPad for $11.

Lucky number 113. Japanese scientists have recently discovered the elusive atomic element 113. Now they get first crack at naming rights. Might I suggest Mothranium.